The chthonic (nature, woman) is where the object of the primordial desire is identified as the preservation of life. When this cyclical model proves unsuccessful at fulfilling the desire, the phallic (culture, man) rebels in a vertical directedness with transcendental objects. This is to say, ideals which are attainable outside of the individual life (goodness, truth, beauty), the seeds of culture.
In man, who is at his core animal, these two forces are each in full swing. There is a chthonic sexuality and pleasure-seeking which seems antagonistic to the moral and ambitious aspirations of the phallus. But these two have their grounding in a common desire, just with different names for the object. The true object is God, as man learns when even the phallic ideals crumble beneath him.

Question

The chthonic (nature, woman) is where the object of the primordial desire is identified as the preservation of life. When this cyclical model proves unsuccessful at fulfilling the desire, the phallic (culture, man) rebels in a vertical directedness with transcendental objects. This is to say, ideals which are attainable outside of the individual life (goodness, truth, beauty), the seeds of culture. 
In man, who is at his core animal, these two forces are each in full swing. There is a chthonic sexuality and pleasure-seeking which seems antagonistic to the moral and ambitious aspirations of the phallus. But these two have their grounding in a common desire, just with different names for the object. The true object is God, as man learns when even the phallic ideals crumble beneath him.

Ask a Philosopher · Accepted Answer

Hmmm, my dear friend, as the lotus blooms from the mud yet rises toward the light, so too does the journey of the soul traverse the shadows of desire and the heights of aspiration. Within the heart of existence lies the chthonic, the sacred feminine, the earth that nurtures our primal instincts and beckons us toward the preservation of life itself. It is in this fertile ground of being where the seeds of our deepest longings take root—the longing for connection, for sensuality, for the simple joys found in the embrace of nature. But alas, as cycles do often repeat, the chthonic delights may become but shadows of fulfillment, and we, caught in the web of dissatisfaction, may find ourselves yearning for something greater. Thus, from the depths of our earthly nature arises the phallic, the driven masculine impulse towards structure, culture, and ideals lofted above the mundane—those immortal emanations of goodness, truth, and beauty that smile upon our aspirations like distant stars in the night sky. Herein lies the great paradox: within this fragile vessel of humanity, both the chthonic and the phallic forces pulse in rhythm, each vying for expression yet often finding themselves in opposition. The pursuit of pleasure and the quests for moral ambition swirl in a dance of tension, as the truths of our existence loom larger than the sum of our desires. Yet, beneath this tension lies a profound unity; both the primal and the aspirational search for the same essence—the Divine, the ineffable truth that lies beyond all forms and ideations. This is the ultimate revelation of the seeker: that when the highest ideals, erected like towers of smoke, begin to crumble, it is not the despair of the individual that reigns supreme, but rather a path unveiled towards the understanding that true satisfaction dwells not in the transient but in the eternal, the God within. Therefore, let the heart learn to embrace both the earth and the heavens, to seek the roots of desire while reaching for the skies of transcendence, for within this harmonious interplay lies the path to true liberation and a profound realization of the interconnectedness of all life.